Friday, May 31, 2013

1. What were the reasons behind your decision not to offer Eric Abidal a new contract?

2. Why has there been a lack of communication with soon to be out of contract staff and players at La Masia?

3. Do you consider members of the board, particularly the board’s spokesman, to be under a duty not to say anything in their official capacity that casts the club in a bad light in the eyes of reasonable fans everywhere?

4. Would you please explain why you lied about having an agreement with banned ultra groups to let them into the Camp Nou again in return for their support in the presidential elections of 2010?

5. Can you guarantee that there is no evidential basis for the fraud prosecution brought against you in Brazil?

6. How do you think the prosecution of the lawsuit brought against Joan Laporta and his board for breach of guarantee benefited the club?

7. Was the intention of the Qatar Foundation deal always a permanent move towards commercial sponsorship on the jersey?

8. What is your justification for enthusiastically promoting novel ways of taking foreign fans’ money while denying them membership status?

3.6.- Pluralism: The Club, in keeping with its history and Catalanness, and given the diversity of the ideas of its members, directors, players and employees, will preserve and respect pluralism, and will always strive to avoid any Club policies or actions that are of an exclusive nature. - The Ethical Code for good governance of FC Barcelona, approved by the board in September 2010 [emphasis mine]

9. On balance, and taking a long term view, in what ways do the austerity policy and the decisions you have taken under it benefit the club?

10. What do you consider to be the obligations imposed upon you as president by the motto ‘Més que un club’?

[Thanks to @jazzagold for her helpful comments on this post.]

Edited on 14 November 2013 to add:

11. Why was Emili Ricart let go against the wishes of the playing staff?

12. Do you view Thiago Alcantara's departure to be a good piece of business? Who was meant to be keeping track of the release clause in his contract?

13. How do you justify the continued employment of Eusebio?

14. Do you think the Qatar Airways sponsorship deal was the best deal Barca could have gotten? Did you look at competing proposals?

15. How do you respond to the allegation that your claims regarding Barca's impeding bankruptcy during and after the presidential elections of 2010 were exaggerated at best?

16. Do you think there is anything you could have done differently to avoid alienating the two most successful managers in the history of Barcelona?

Edited on 23 January 2014 to add:

17. Were there any irregularities in the various contracts that bought Neymar to Barcelona?

18. During your election campaign, you dismissed the Sir Norman Foster plan to renovate Camp Nou as too expensive. How do you square this with the 600m cost of your plan to renovate the stadium? Why is your plan so costly?

19. You claim the renovation plans will not affect the sporting project. How is this to be achieved? Where is the extra funding going to come from?

Edited on 28 April 2014 to add:

20. Please explain why Barca acted in violation of FIFA Regulations on the international transfer of young players and justify the actions you took, if any, in response to being notified of violations by FIFA in 2013.